


non solus

by grumpeaches



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Arranged Marriage, But generally platonic, Childhood Friends, F/M, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Romance, Pre-Noctis/Luna, Some vaguely romantic scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 04:05:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6140974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpeaches/pseuds/grumpeaches
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You were the shadow to my light." — Faded, Alan Walker</p>
<p>There was a time when the two of them were inseparable, and as Noctis reminisced happier times, he wondered if time had made strangers of them. But maybe, despite the physical distance between them for the past fifteen years (three months, ten days), their hearts remained closer than ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	non solus

**Author's Note:**

> Title means "not alone" (or to be more specific, "he is not alone") in Latin. 
> 
> Since the game is yet to be released, characterisations are based on footage we've seen so far and fleshed out according to my own interpretation. Which basically means I haven't had that much to work with (in terms of Luna's character and the dynamic between her and Noctis), but I'm happy with how it turned out.

He hadn’t seen her in ages –– fifteen years, three months, ten days to be exact, although Noctis would never admit to keeping count. He’d known her since they were barely old enough to talk, or so he’d been told. His most prominent memories of Luna featured an older version of her, though they were very much still children.

After his accident, after he had been rejected from the Kingdom of Death, everyone seemed to tiptoe around him, like he was _fragile_. (And maybe he was, the crystal’s power paradoxically strengthening and weakening him at the same time, but Noctis had always taken the role of the defender, not the helpless.) He’d grown quieter than usual, sullen, and he still remembered the way his father had softly reminded him to be on his best behaviour when the Fleurets came to visit.

He’d expected the sympathetic looks of course, but that hadn’t stopped his pride from burning when the Lord and Lady Fleuret’s gaze wandered to the bandages that covered his right arm and leg, even if only for a split second. It was irrational, he knew, but he couldn’t help himself. Just as he noticed the absence of the young blonde Fleuret, the girl in question came running through the doors of the dining hall, skidding to a stop to curtsy before him and his father.

“My Lord,” she greeted, every bit the little aristocrat and a stark contrast to her entrance just moments prior, “May Noctis and I be excused?”

“Lunafreya!” Her mother had gasped in surprise. It was lunchtime after all, and etiquette called for everyone to be present at the table.

His father had merely chuckled, waving a hand dismissively to let his guests know that he hadn’t taken offence to their daughter’s request. “It’s okay. Noct here,” – Noctis groaned as his father pressed a hand to the top of his head and ruffled his already unruly hair – “just woke up anyway. I doubt he’s hungry. If he wishes to go play with the little lady, he may.”

He was being given a choice, and he took a moment to weigh his options. He wasn’t complete strangers with the Fleuret girl – _Lunafreya,_ he reminded himself – but he only knew her from past visits, so they weren’t exactly close. In the end, he decided potential awkwardness with Lunafreya beat sitting around and pretending to be interested in adult affairs.

“Lunafreya and I shall take our leave then,” he announced politely.

The grin on Lunafreya’s face widened at that, and Noctis couldn’t help but return her smile despite himself. She waved off an attendant that came to push his wheelchair, taking hold of the handles herself. She wished the adults a pleasant meal before wheeling him out of the dining hall. Once they had turned around the corner, she stopped, and Noctis twisted in his chair to look at her in question.

“You should probably hold onto the armrests,” she told him, and before he could make sense of her words, she had taken down the hallway in a run, pushing him along.

He let out a frightened yelp at the sudden speed, but before he’d even realised it, his laughter had joined hers, and he found himself disappointed when she slowed to a walk once more before finally coming to a stop in front of the guest bedroom. She moved in front of him for a moment to open the door, and then wheeled him to the foot of the bed.

She held up a finger then, mumbling _I’ll be right back_ before disappearing into a connecting room, returning just a moment later flanked by two dogs. She stopped a short distance from his wheelchair though, kneeling to pet the two dogs.

“This one’s a boy,” she brushed a hand down the back of the wolf-like dog, “His name’s Lupus.”

“And the other one?” The question had come out so quick, he’d very nearly cut off Lunafreya’s sentence. He felt his face heating up again, and ducked his head down, certain that the girl must think him rude.

To his surprise, she merely laughed, and he heard a soft bark as she wrapped her arms around the other dog. “Why don’t you take a guess?”

“How am I supposed to know?” He wished he could say that the words hadn’t come out in a whine, but by the way Lunafreya’s lips twitched, he knew otherwise.

“Just guess! I won’t laugh, I promise.”

“Sure, you wont,” he mumbled, and he was rewarded with a soft chuckle at that. For some reason, making her laugh drew a smile out of him, and he regarded the yet unnamed dog, wondering what its name could possibly be. Its coat was completely white, and frankly, it reminded him of the girl clad in a white dress who was currently stroking its fur. “Hm… Alba?”

“Alba…” She repeated the name, nodding to herself before turning her attention to him with another grin. “That’s a nice name. Alba it is then!”

She must’ve seen the confusion on his face, because the tinkling sound of her laughter reached his ears once more. Noctis realised that he didn’t mind so much that she was laughing at him. In fact, it felt nice to be able to make her laugh.

“I hadn’t named her yet,” she explained, “she’s yours, after all.”

“Mine?” He asked, not missing the awe in his own voice. He’d never had a pet before, and he reached out, wanting to touch Alba, but found that they were too far away from his wheelchair for him to reach.

“You have legs,” she pointed out, “You’ve been fidgeting the whole time. I know you’re itching to get out of the chair, so c’mon.”

His maids had almost had a nervous breakdown when he’d tried to tell them he didn’t need the wheelchair that morning, and now Lunafreya was encouraging him to get up and walk on his own. Without another moment’s hesitation, he got up from the chair, approaching the girl and the two dogs. He was cautious at first, not knowing how to treat the animals, but when Alba nudged his hand with her nose, he laughed, kneeling on the carpet as well to pull both dogs into a hug.

They played around for a bit, the two children and their canine friends, before eventually lapsing into contented silence. Both Alba and Lupus had laid down to take a nap, and Lunafreya was humming softly to herself as she stroked Lupus’ fur.

“Lunafreya?” He called, wanting to get her attention.

“Luna,” she corrected, but she turned to him with a smile nonetheless. “What is it?”

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but…” he trailed off then, not knowing how to word his question without possibly offending his companion. _Friend?_

She seemed to understand what he was trying to ask though, but she merely shrugged it off. “Just because I wanted to,” she replied, although Noctis got the feeling that it wasn’t the entire truth. She moved closer to him then, and despite his usual reservations, he didn’t flinch or pull away when she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered.

“Me too.” The words slipped past his lips before he even thought about what he was saying, and broke through the strange seriousness that had fallen over them. She pressed a kiss to his cheek before pulling away, so brief that Noctis couldn’t be sure that he hadn’t just imagined the soft brush of her lips against his skin.

She was smiling at him when he finally managed to look her in the eye again, and at that moment, Noctis thought that she shone brighter than any of the lights that plagued his dreams.

They were inseparable after that, his hand rarely leaving hers as she pulled him all over the palace grounds. She never got mad at him whenever he fell asleep in her company, although one time he _did_ wake up with drawn on spectacles and a moustache. On the last night of her visit, he brought her up to the roof and pointed out all the different constellations to her.

“You see those three stars in a row?” Noctis paused, waiting until he heard a small grunt of confirmation from the girl before he continued, “That’s Orion’s Belt. And then from there, the fainter stars make up his sword, then you can find the rest of him. Easy.”

There was silence for a moment as Luna tried to spot the rest of the constellation, but eventually all he heard was a small sigh of resignation. “Y’know, I read one of Mother’s books once, and the male protagonist was a guy named Orion.”

Noctis rolled his eyes, aware that she was purposely changing the topic, but decided to humour her anyway. “What kind of guy was he?”

“I don’t know… I could read it, but I didn’t really understand much. Adults are weird.”

“Girls are weird, but you don’t see me complaining, do you?” The smart remark earned him a not-so-gentle slap to the chest, but even as he rubbed the sore spot he was grinning.

“Anyway!” Luna continued, as if she hadn’t just attacked the Crown Prince of the Lucian Empire. “The book got _really_ detailed about kissing. Apparently there’s this thing called French kissing, which involves sticking your tongue in the other person’s mouth. How is that enjoyable?”

“Well it must be, or else why would people…” He trailed off then, catching the sly grin on her face from the corner of his eyes. “Oh no, if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking then the answer is no.”

“Oh come on!” She cajoled, her lips pulling into a pout that Noctis hated to admit made him tempted to give in. “None of that yucky tongue stuff, just lips, I promise! I just want to see why grownups seem to enjoy it so much, that’s all.”

She’d moved closer as she spoke, and Noctis knew that he really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. He was stubborn, but Luna… That girl was truly a force to be reckoned with – arguing with her never went anywhere. He sighed, his head barely tilting in a nod of consent before his vision was obscured by blonde hair, and he felt an unfamiliar, soft pressure against his lips. By the time he blinked, she had already pulled back, and he hummed softly in thought.

“Well that was rather anticlimactic,” he mused, “And lame.”

“You’re right,” she agreed, looking serious for all of two seconds before he felt her elbow make contact with his ribs. “I think hurting you is more fun.”

“With a friend like you, who needs enemies?” He muttered darkly, ready to fend for himself in the case of another attack. But when he turned to make sure she wasn’t going to try anything again, he found her focused on the stars once more.

“What are you thinking?” He asked, nudging her side lightly to get her attention.

“I’m thinking… I’m going to start reading up on astronomy so I can impress you with my knowledge next time we see each other.”

She hadn’t needed to say it explicitly for him to hear the promise in her words – _we’ll see each other again_. It was this reassurance he held onto as he saw her off the next day, trying his hardest to ignore the gnawing feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

The next day, they received news that Niflheim troops had invaded Tenebrae. Another day after that, Niflheim had announced the Fleuret family dead, save for the youngest girl, who would remain in their custody. There was a brief moment when Luna had appeared onscreen – it was hard to believe that the girl who glared straight at the camera was the same girl that had been smiling at Noctis just two days before.

“We have to save her!” Noctis yelled as he stormed into his father’s council meeting, after having seen yet another broadcast from Tenebrae showcasing Luna looking gaunter than ever. “They’re going to kill her!”

He had gotten no response out of any of the council members, and ultimately it was King Regis who sighed and turned to address him. “Noct…” He started, and Noctis knew instantly that he wasn’t going to like whatever his father would say next. “They’re not going to kill her.”

He wasn’t expecting that, but his father’s tired, apologetic eyes let him know that there was bad news to come yet. “Do you know why the Fleurets are so highly regarded in Tenebrae?”

Noctis nodded. He might’ve still been a child, but he was also the Crown Prince of an entire kingdom, and with the title came the obligation to know about not just stately affairs, but also about his kingdom’s allies. “Lady Fleuret was an Oracle–” his words were cut off by a sharp intake of breath, realisation finally dawning on him. “Luna is the next Oracle.”

“Yes,” King Regis confirmed, “She’s a political prisoner, their trump card against Tenebrae. The only reason they managed to invade Tenebrae with this little bloodshed is because they had her in their hands from the beginning. It is in their best interest to keep her alive.”

“Just because they won’t kill her doesn’t mean she should be abandoned and left to live like some kind of caged animal!”

His shout echoed through the chamber, and was followed by an outbreak of whispering between the council members. “If we retrieve her from Niflheim, a full-scale war will ensue. As unfortunate as it may be, it really is for the best that she remains with the Niflheim troops.”

Logic and reason were telling him that what the council said was the truth, even if it was hard to swallow, but as Luna’s friend, Noctis felt nothing but despair at the thought of her trapped within the clutches of the enemy. Without another word, he turned on his heels and left.

As much as he wanting to do something, _anything_ , there was only so much a child (prince or not) could do. And so he took to watching every broadcast from Tenebrae in the hopes of getting another glimpse of her, of reassurance that even if she wasn’t entirely okay, she was _alive_. He watched as the bruises faded, as her hair grew out, as her features changed from their childhood roundness to the sharper angles of adulthood. But most of all, he watched as the warmth in her eyes he remembered so fondly was replaced with cold steel.

Tenebrae had adjusted to life under Niflheim rule, and even as the fear that the last of Tenebrae’s Oracle bloodline would be killed dimmed, there seemed to be no uprising in sight. Noctis went from running to catch any broadcast about the Oracle to switching the television off every time Luna appeared. She was safe, after all – Niflheim would be crazy to try to do anything to someone as adored and revered the world over as her – and Noctis had no reason to continue to obsessively make sure of her wellbeing. (Deep down though, he knew that it was simply because he couldn’t stand to see the hardness in her eyes without feeling like he had failed her.)

It helped that his duties to his own kingdom had him busy enough to keep any thoughts of Luna at bay. Noctis’ strength had always lied in fighting, not in political affairs, but despite his frustration at the game of politics, he was willing to do anything for his country. Which was why when the topic of political marriage was brought up at a council meeting, Noctis had consented as long as it was in Lucis’ best interests.

“Good,” one of the senior advisors had nodded in approval at Noctis’ agreement, “Because we’ve already gotten an offer.”

Noctis resisted from rolling his eyes; he should’ve known that his consent was merely a formality. “From where?”

“Niflheim, Your Highness.” On hindsight, he realised he probably should’ve seen that one coming. Lucis was the last great kingdom not under Niflheim’s rule because the crystal barrier kept them far too well protected. It made sense that they’d want to at least form a union through marriage, if they couldn’t conquer Lucis by force. Even if he was forced to marry Niflheim nobility, he supposed it was better than war being raged against his country.

“Makes sense,” he replied, fingers reaching up to press against his temple, warding off an incoming headache. “So who’s the lovely bride-to-be?”

The senior advisor seemed to visibly perk up at the question, and Noctis wondered if he had imagined it. There didn’t seem to be any logical reason as to why a Lucian advisor would be excited about Noctis’ Niflheim bride. “Oh, you already know her, Your Highness,” the slightly rotund man said, and the young heir froze, “They’re proposing a marriage with Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae.”

“I see,” he said in reply, having too much trouble trying to process the information to come up with a more eloquent response. “Like I said before, if this marriage is our best option, then I will do it. If that is all for today, then the meeting is adjourned.”

Without waiting for a response, he pushed his chair back, leaving for his room. He wondered what he’d done wrong for the Fates to be playing such cruel tricks on him. He had enough trouble trying to reconcile the woman she’d become with the girl that he had known as it was, not to mention the guilt he still carried for abandoning her. He wasn’t sure he could even be able to look her in the eyes (those cold, _cold_ eyes) if they ever met again, but now he was expected to marry her, thus intertwining their fates for the rest of their lives.

He’d ended up sneaking away from his own engagement party, grateful for the quiet of the palace hallways after the overcrowded ballroom. Automatically, he headed for the roof, the place he always went to whenever he needed a quiet moment to himself. Mostly because none of the guards ever dared to venture up to the roof to retrieve him, but also because the vast night sky had a calming effect on him. As fate would have it though, the one person he’d been the keenest on avoiding that night would be the very person he found at his spot on the roof.

At a distance, with her turned away from him, she seemed so much like the Luna of his memories. Fifteen years, three months, and ten days.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Her voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he realised that he’d spoken out loud without noticing. “It’s past midnight now though, so that makes it fifteen years, three months, and eleven days.”

“Too long,” he murmured quietly, not moving from where he stood, gaze locked on his own feet.

He’s startled by the sound of her laughter, something he hadn’t heard since that last night, right on this very roof. When he looked up, he found her looking at him, lips turned up in the faintest of smiles. It paled in comparison to the smiles she used to give him when they were kids, but the ice in her eyes had melted away a little. Noctis wondered how it was possible to miss someone and to want to run away from them at the same time.

“If you want me to go, you just have to tell me,” she said, and maybe it was the few flutes of champagne he’d downed earlier, but he swore there was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I don’t–” he stuttered, not sure how to act around her. How did one act around someone who was both a kindred spirit and a stranger at the same time?

She took pity on his plight eventually, patting the spot next to her in clear invitation for him to join her. “Sit,” she said, her voice so clear and authoritative that he was compelled to take a seat, despite still feeling unsure. “Don’t be a stranger now. We’re old friends, aren’t we?”

He was both comforted and ashamed by the reminder – comforted, because it was confirmation that she still regarded him as a friend even after all these years, ashamed, because he wasn’t sure he deserved it. “How can you still call me a friend, when I…” He frowned, refusing to so much as glance in her direction, “…when you were held captive by the enemy and I didn’t do anything?”

“So _that’s_ why you’ve been avoiding me all night?” She let out a scoff at that, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to face her at least, even if he still did not look up. “My people are _alive_ because I was a good little pet. If you had tried to rescue me, war would have broken out proper in Tenebrae, and I would _never_ have forgiven you.”

“You, more than anyone, must understand my willingness to do anything for my country,” she implored, “Did you really think so lowly of me to think I wouldn’t have found a way out if I had wanted to? I chose to stay for my country, and you have absolutely no reason to be beating yourself up over a choice that _I_ made.”

Noctis was still silent; he _did_ understand the duty of carrying a country’s wellbeing upon one’s shoulders, but there was something tragic about how Luna had been forced to fill shoes far too big for her at far too young an age. She sighed deeply, and the grip on his shoulders loosened so her nails were no longer digging into him painfully. “You got me through it, you know.”

“Huh?” It was the first sound he’d made in the last five minutes, and he looked up to see her glaring at him. It was an expression he’d seen countless times on television, and how uncomfortable it had made him then was nothing compared to how uncomfortable he felt now, with the glare directed at him in person.

“Were you even listening to a word I said?” He stammered, trying to tell her that he had been listening, merely lost in thought, but his tongue seemed to trip around the words. But when he finally dared to look up at her again, he was greeted by warm eyes, guarded and cautious, but warm nonetheless, and just this side of teasing. There was a soft chuckle, and she pushed at his shoulder lightly.

“The time I spent with you… it was the last happy memory I had before everything went wrong. Whenever things got hard, I thought of you, and I told myself that I couldn’t give up because I’d promised you that we’d see each other again.”

“You also said you’d impress me with your knowledge on astronomy.” As the words left his mouth, he winced internally because it seemed like the wrong thing to say to someone after such a sincere confession, but he was rewarded with a laugh and another smack to the shoulder.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been a little busy. But hey, give me another fifteen years and I’ll do it.”

He didn’t say anything immediately, choosing instead to wrap his arms around the slender woman. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, an echo of the words she’d said to him a lifetime ago.

“Me too,” she replied, and he laughed because she remembered too. He started to pull away, but then in a moment of complete brazenness, leaned in again to press his lips against hers. It was like the brush of a butterfly’s wings, light and quick to pass.

Naturally, she pulled a face at him once he’d moved far back enough to see her without going cross-eyed. “Still lame, and still clueless as to why everyone else enjoys doing that so much,” she said, before a grin slowly stretched across the same lips he had just kissed, “Then again, maybe it’s the other party involved who’s the problem, not the act itself. Maybe I should try kissing someone who’s not you for a change.”

“I should remind you that as my fiancée, you really shouldn’t be going around kissing other men.” Luna opened her mouth to retort, but he cut her off. “Or women. Anyone or anything that isn’t me is a no-go, I’m sorry.”

“I’m only allowed to kiss you for the rest of my life? That’s a fate worse than death– _ow_.” She shot him a dirty look as she rubbed the spot between her ribs that he had jammed his elbow into.

“You’re awful,” he deadpanned, and she offered no clever retorts to that, merely humming in agreement. “But I guess… for the sake of my country and her people, I’ll marry you.”

She laughed again, mumbled sarcastically about his heroic sacrifice, and then they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Under all the armour, past the walls she’d erected around her heart, it turned out that the Luna of his memories still existed. She had been the light he had held onto during his recovery, and now he wondered if it was destiny that had brought her to him back then, and whether it was destiny again that brought them back together once more. He was the next in line to the Lucian throne, and she was a revered Oracle; he had no doubts that fate had much bigger plans for the both of them. But as long as they had each other, he had faith that they would be okay.

And as Luna’s hand drifted closer, eventually finding his and holding on, he knew that she shared the same sentiments – just as when they were children, as long as her hand was in his, they could do anything.


End file.
